Hello Friends,
Thought you might like to see the Rebirth of the last of the best, the monobeam front live axle 100 Series, with NO ELECTRONICS or computers on board... Look, I love driving my Silverado, and I love driving the 200 Series, but they are Civilization oriented Luxury vehicles and thew will run as long as they run but if something breaks or there is an electrical malfunction... Ooooops, you are in trouble...

With the last of the 100 Series, I would like to encourage some of you to consider that this is fixable anywhere in the Bush.. If I was going out the back of Wjunurrurojhon beyond the Never Never, this is the kind of Engineering I would want and would take myself...

This is a GXL 100 Series, 1HZ motor, with Safari Turbo, Intercooler, Automatic, ARB Diff Locks, a real Tractor off road... And now it is getting a brand new Factory Engine, delivered here from Lane Toyota in Melbourne for $7500... No electronics on board, should be about a 400,000 km truck now being all restored to as new for about $18,000 but I will post final figures... New tow package in tranny, the works...

The beauty of this model is the stuff Toyota Legends are made of, and the monobeam front simple and strong front diff... Hard to break or even beat this robust engineering...

This kind of a front end is robust, simple, and easy to repair or renew... Not complex, very simple and strong, and easy to lift without complications for more ground clearance...

As apposed to this, the 200 series, with too many moving parts, bushes, boots, and it just looks fragile if I put it in the ditch.... Friends, I am a fair Mechanic, and I cannot even identify some of these bits on my 200 Series

The 100 Series is still modern enough for me... It rides and runs smooth, high speed comfort, all the creature comforts without the computers. And anyone out Bush can work on it...

And you can upgrade it with a centre console like this, UHF, map lights, and storage in the overhead... Make it as nice as you like...

I am upgrading the 1HZ Motor, not only to have a new engine all the way to the Injectors, but also a new Injection pump ($1700) and a Boost Compensator ($650) to set it up so the extra fuel does not get run in until the Turbo has spooled up.. This means less smoke, better mileage, better for the engine, latest non electronic top Engineering!!! And anyone can work on it anywhere out Bush where parts are plentiful.. But with it all restored to new, I am unlikely to need anything for hundreds of thousands of kms...

For towing I am adding an extra pass larger Radiator ($650) A good investment with an Aftermarket non electronic Garrett Turbo set up...

For Off-Road this one already has ARB front and rear Air Locker Diff locks and Air Compressor.... This will go just about anywhere. I will get some Mud Terrains for it if I am going on an Expedition... Never mind the dust, she is still in the shop....

This 100 Series was also bought with the Long Ranger 170 litre fuel tank on board, that means 240 litres of diesel !! And a rear tyre carrier, that I added a High Lift Jack and the back up floodlight on....

It even came with stainless water tanks in the front mudguards and I added the Warn Winch and IPF driving lights...

There is more, and more pictures and costs detailed... The point is that after 40 years of Off-Road experience myself, THIS is the final vehicle for the most remote parts of Australia, not the exotic luxury car two vehicles I play around with in civilization of Eastern Australia.. Catch me out on the Kings Canyon Staion chasing camels on the W.A. Border with this vehicle... Out to dinner in Coolum and yes I will be in the luxury vehicles. But what is wrong with this 100 Series.. I will make a bold statement here and say that this 100 Series will still be on the road after it is not economical to replace the electronic bits in a new 200 Series luxury Toyota, this 100 Series is not only tougher, anyone can work on it, but I think it will end up being longer lasting!!!!

Why do I show you this? I think this can be done for about $20,000 on a $30-35,000 second hand 100 Series, and if you are going REALLY out to remote Bush locations, and with a Bushtracker of say 20' or smaller, THIS is the TOP most reliable, strongest, longest lasting, toughest tow vehicle. If you are half mechanical, talk to your Mechanic, and most I talk with agree this is a strong way to go. Security is K.I.S.S. Engineering, half the price, and may be the way for some of you to go... I do not like the computerized trend of the newer tow vehicles, and due to all the complications some are returning to the simpler engineering.... I will stick with the tried and true.

And I know this vehicle, I doubt any new vehicle could keep up with it in the really tough going... At least for long..

Kind Regards, Posting for your consideration of an alternate if not BETTER way to go and for less money....
Ranger

Well here it is,
Yet to be completely tidied up, but ready for the road...

The purpose of the exercise is to show you a viable alternative to all the expensive computer driven independent suspension vehicles... That I maintain is not only MORE reliable, anybody in the Bush can work on it, and it is half the money....

This vehicle is fast, quiet, happy even over the 110 mark, comfortable, automatic, and now in the running gear it is BRAND NEW, a new GXL with the live front axle, the LAST of the stuff that made Toyota a LEGEND in the Outback...

I would not be ashamed to drive this....

In fact even without new paint and fancy wheels, I think it looks pretty good..

I would not be ashamed of the interior, nice centre console, map lights, map storage, scanning UHF, ARB air compressor and Diff Locks...

All new engine, and supporting parts... Garrett turbo rebuilt, with stainless braided oil supply feed, new injection pump in from Japan for $1700, new injectors with engine, new heavier duty radiator, new heavy duty transmission cooler for the auto now running on Transmax Z synthetic... This is GOOD GEAR... We went through brakes, tailshafts, bearings, EVERYTHING.... Transmission, the works. And I do not think it broke $20,000

And if I am rock crawling, or hit a washout unseen in the dark a bit hard, or hit a cattle grate too hard, or a rock, or miss a Bullock and put it in a ditch.... Here is the front end of Legends, simple and robust...

I have the top other vehicles with all their computer driven luxury bits... And what this GXL doesn't have I will not miss myself. I am sure this is not for everybody, some have to buy new for tax reasons, for prestige, for the new car smell, for Warranty, etc-etc... But when it comes down to it, out back of the Widjurrajurra creek, chasing camels across the desert, looking for that lost gold mine....... This is the kind of robust vehicle I want. I have built a half dozen Toyotas for the Outback in the past 20 years, and studied just about every bit on them. If you want any advice feel free to ask as I am here to help. If you want to see this vehicle I will be driving it most days for the next two weeks to run it in..

If I could buy a bigger one, Chevrolet or Dodge or Ford, and rebuild it as brand new, I just might do that... But they did not get much good at diesels until they went computerized themselves. Personally, I don't think that is the right trend for the Outback. So if you are a bit handy, here is another option for you and save the $50,000 or $60,000 difference...

Now a 23' Bushtracker, well you need the Silverado or Ford or Dodge for safety of the leverage of long wheelbase. But if you are looking at our most common size of Bushtracker say 19' to 21', just what is wrong with building a new robust Toyota... I don't know.... And the difference between it and new Silverado? Wow, pays for most of the Bushtracker..

Well, She is all done, instead of paying $11,000 for an engine locally, we got the brand new engine out of Lane Toyota in Melbourne.... For $7200 plus $300 freight to Qld...

I put $2900 into the Transmission in a towing kit, all new internals..
New Radiator, brakes and bearing serviced, discs turned, new brake pads and everything else brought up to new condition...

New larger Radiator,
Turbo Rebuilt,
New Injection pump,
New Boost compensator kit installed,
Tune up by Diesel Power Systems, with exhaust monitor tuning..
A general upgrade of the entire vehicle running gear and it came to $19616.20...... with all sundries and parts and fluids and labour..

I now have a 100 Series that is better and stronger than NEW.... Job well done by Graham of Suncoast Diesels across the street..

Hi LR, Great car having owned 4 toyotas and wouldn't buy anything else for outback touring. I agree that toyota has gone soft and is loosing its legend status in the bush with the 200 series >Having owned a 75 ser troopy and an 80ser td I am still not confident that my Ifs 100 ser will last anywhere as good as my earlier vehicles. Your 100 ser live axle is a great bush truck and can handle what you put in front or underneath it. Thats why you set the truck up so it can handle the road conditions better than a standard vehicle. But being a Toyota devotee like many others I will put up with there changes to their lineups just so I can have a toyota a so called legend which is becoming more a town car than a bush car. Now I have a 100ser gxl with all the bells and whistles its going to be hard to back to a troopy as far as creature comforts go. but at least I will feel like I am driving the legend again and in the scrub Toyota vehicles rule. Again if you set up your vehicle the ride the creature comforts all make the gap between a troopy ,100 ser live axle and a 200 ser all that much closer. I would relenquish all the luxury features for a reliable go anywhere truck anyday because I bought the truck for a purpose. It can't be everything. Just like you I have a town car and a tourer Ones a 4wd and the other a car. and I have them set up accordingly for their respective purposes. All these gadjets the 200 ser has is another thing to go wrong. Just how reliable they are time will tell. I might just wait for version 2 before looking at upgrading. Whats your thoughts on the 76 series lc . Its rough and tough and with the single turbo v8 should make a good tow vehicle. What would you prefer your 100ser or a 76 ser gxl wagon. thanks regards Peter (Saraton Tracker) [/b]_________________Nomadikos-WNDRR
Doing it in a BT

Hi LR, I might just wait for version 2 before looking at upgrading. Whats your thoughts on the 76 series lc . Its rough and tough and with the single turbo v8 should make a good tow vehicle. What would you prefer your 100ser or a 76 ser gxl wagon. thanks regards Peter (Saraton Tracker) [/b]

Hello SARATON TRACKER !
I think you mean 79 Series, what Toyota now says is it's Outback vehicle.
There is a Topic on the 79 Series here in this Category: RANGERS TOP PICK FOR A BUDGET BUT FULL SIZED TOW VEHICLE, where I give a good report on it.. I interviewed a Bushtracker Owner that was a Professional Driver that had towed a Bushtracker 37,000 kms with the 79 Series, and thought it was quite good...

Now you might ask why would I spend the money on the 100 Series instead of just buying a new 4 door 79 Series myself? Well there are three big differences:

First the 79 Series is still a fully computer run engine, electronic and you cannot work on it... It is not Mechanic friendly unless you have a computer, and I think the new designs are to make more money on aftermarket Service than just selling the vehicles. Even the starter is embedded in the engine. I like something I can fix myself out back beyond the wjurrujurra billibong... But some people do not have the confidence and experience to build a custom vehicle, and to buy new the 79 Series is a good pick because of the live front axle monobeam suspension....

Secondly: The 100 Series is more of a luxury vehicle, even with the same live axle, it has a look and feel of more luxury where the 79 Series "Workmate" is half way to a work vehicle 75 Series type. Now that would not bother me but I like the Automatic Transmission, and that really sets them apart as the 79 is only manual...

Thirdly I bought my 100 Series secondhand loaded with gear for the Outback... They do not sell for any more with the gear on it, so you pretty much get it for free if you shop around. When I bought mine it was comparably priced to two others that were stock, but: It came with a winch Bullbar and I added the Warn winch, it came with ARB Air Locker front and rear diff locks, Long Ranger Tanks and change over on the dash, centre overhead console with map lights and lockers and UHF, Old Man Emu suspension and Nitrocharger Shocks, stainless water tanks in the front mudguards, Glind water pump and heat exchanger shower system, IPF Driving lights, tow bar wired, rear tyre carrier, back up flood light, dual battery and charging system, Garrett Turbo and Intercooler, extended Automatic Transmission cooler, and more..

My point is that you can buy a vehicle with the gear already on it, for not much if any more, so in the end my 100 Series is Automatic, and has about $20,000 in upgrades for free. A new 79 Series comparably equipped would have cost about 50% more. And I like the Automatic, and fully mechanical engine with no electronics, and the feel of more of a quiet luxury vehicle... So I restored what I believe is the last of the best of the Legend...

This was my choice, I am sure not for everybody, but I like it and can argue from a solid Mechanical Engineering stand that it is more reliable as it can be fixed in the Bush by anyone... I do not think I will ever sell it, and I would wager that it will be on the road longer than the 200 Series I bought for R&D that my Wife is driving... And it is not far off in quiet and comfort, not as much power as the new engine, but enough for me...

Hi Steve, I agree with you whole heartedly I am not that mechanically minded so the 100ser would be a better option for me anyway . I know where your coming from re the comforts and all that. I know from my troopy days going to an 80 ser was beautiful and now a 100ser gxl its fantastic. 4wd's these days would rival the ride in some of the expensive european cars as compared to the old 47ser lc or landies.
Now if you had to buy from new the 76ser (it is a 76 ser I am talking about which is the wagon the 79ser is the cab chassis) would be the only option. As you've stated it only comes in manual and is not as comfortable which is a drawback but I would have to live with that. But as a towing vehicle is your 100ser as good or better. I like the disco 3 td it would be a good round town car but from what I have seen in the cape from admitantly earlier versons they had bits falling off them and firewalls cracking. Patrols chassis were cracking mainly dew to overloading I think. Even my toyota 80ser a few things rattled loose that would have been averted if I did a quick check and undercar inspection. So no car is fool proof some of the responsibility also goes to the owner is these remote areas. But as a reliabilty viewpoint is the Toyota still the King of the Outback or has everybody caught up. Ranger keep up the good testing and feedback its good to talk to someone who has actually done it and not some salesman selling his product. Your knowledge is bottomless.
Thanks for a great forum. Hope to see ya in the bush .
regards Peter_________________Nomadikos-WNDRR
Doing it in a BT

And this takes care of comfort on the seats....
Given the choice, I am driving this 100 Series, ARB suspension, Diff-Locks front and rear, centre console overhead and UHF, Warn winch and steel Bullbar, IPF Driving Lights, Alpine Quad Stereo, Long Ranger fuel tanks of 170 and 90 Litres so 260 litres, and more.... And I can fix just about anything that goes wrong myself as it is all non-electronic...

Well here is another little thing that can be done, that will save you $1000 fix...

Under the back window of these Garrett Turbo Intercooler Cruisers, they gave the "Big Rig" puff of smoke under low RPM on load.. This smoke causes a little acid eat away of the paint under the bottom of the rubber seal at the back window, as the trace of sulphur in the unburned diesel soot mixes with water, H20 becomes a weak H2S04, and this make it bubble little rust under the flap of the back window seal... Note, my entire 100 Series is fully and internally rust proofed, this is a fuel related corrosion problem...

Now, the basic solution is what I have done to eliminate the black puff of smoke, is put on the After Market invention of a mechanical Boost Compensator. Now there is very little black soot, for $650 with set up, this does not allow extra fuel added until the RPM is up and Turbo spools up to burn it... It will pay for itself in fuel economy as well..

But I was stuck with a few patchy corrosion paint bubbling up near the bottom of the rear window:

They wanted $1000 to take out the rear window, as Toyota in their infinite wisdom, epoxy bonded it in and it was not removable... So I invented this $30 fix... I cut out the bottom rubber flap that was loose with a razor knife to expose the rust...

Then I scraped the corrosion away down to bare, as clean as I could and put Rust Converter Rainex on there to make it a 24 hour cure innert black. Then the next day, painted it with a brush and cold galvanizing primer... The third day, tape it all off neatly and put on a bead of black Sikaflex, to be smoothed off with the spit on the finger method to a neat clean finish...

There, BETTER than new, for about $30 saving on the $1000 body shop fix. The idea is that this whole Cruiser now has more Power and Performance and Equipment than it had when it was new..... And without any computers, any Handy Person can do a Bush Mechanic Fix on it with parts out there in the Bush already... I hope this TIP saves you the money, and the fix is better than original, just like the Mechanical the Cruiser has gone through...

I love my Super Cruiser, hand built, better than new, it will be the Backbone vehicle in my Stable. This is the one I want to take to remote areas. The fancy 200 Series for twice the money will stay home

The purpose of this Series and Thread is to show you an alternative, if you are a Handy Sort of a person, that is arguably better and more reliable than the electronic modern versions. THIS LANDCRUISER is in my mind the LAST OF THE LEGENDS as the modern computer driven 200 Series has 30 interactive sensors and computers that cannot be worked on in the Bush... And of course this Rigid front axle assembly in this 100 Series, makes it a very good alternative.. I am unbiased, can afford both, and own both, and this is what I have done.

Hello Friends, here is the Super Cruiser, just about finished, and She is a keeper.. This is my own Outback Cruiser, in all fairness my 200 Series is a fine luxury car, but will stay in the city... I still advocate the argument that 100 Series is a far tougher vehicle, and no electronics.

Some final pictures and gear additions as follows:

Best Driving lights.....

Great Back up flood, switches off with van on back, but great in Bush and town disconnected...

And here is the ultimate, Drawer System in back, storage and fridge slide out on top....

And the best Security system .....

Now I will not bore you all with any more additions of pictures and ravings about this reborn new 100 Series, it is over. The purpose was to show you an alternative to the new 200 Series, and without Bias as I own both, this is a stronger vehicle for the Outback. It is not just that it costs LESS THAN HALF of an equpped 200 Series; it is now all new, and has the better front end in the monobeam live front axle.

In Final Summary: For those of you that are daunted by the cost of the new 200 Series GXL at over $80,000 and then want about $15,000 to $20,000 in upgraded equipment, I will put forward the case to you that this is a stronger vehicle for half the money. I own both, this is without Bias: This is my own personal choice and I am far more confident of this vehicle and would be far more confident waaaaaay out beyond the Black Stump, where Toyota Computers do not live...

Yes there are tax incentives for some to buy the 200 Series, and yes the 200 Series is more powerful, and yes there is a new car smell and prestige in town, and yes the 200 Series is slightly? more comfortable, but just.... But I assure you, this vehicle does the job very well, and is 95% as comfortable, and the front end is far more robust, and there is the comfort of an all manual non electronic engine, and anyone can work on it in the Bush, and it costs about half as much or less. I rest my case...

I have been reading the articles in the forum concerning choice of tow
vehicles. We have, perhaps, put the cart before the horse as we have the
vehicle before the caravan. In many ways we seem to have made a good choice
as our vehicle is a 2005, 100 series manual Landcruiser standard model with live
front axle, stronger springs and shock absorbers (resulting in 50mm body
rise), rear airbags, 150l reserve tank (replacing the factory sub tank) and
after market turbo charger.

We have ordered a 19ft Bushtracker with an extended drawbar to accommodate a
Little Bulldog trailer. After reading your article on loading up
Landcruisers I ask your advice on adding a tinny to the roofrack.

We take the back seat out of the cruiser and replace it with plywood storage boxes which are of similar (or less) weight. The boxes hold food, drinks, camping gas cylinders and camping stove. On the floor, behind the front seats we carry a 70litre, water filled bladder.
The camping gear, tent, food, drinks, most of the water etc would not be carried in the vehicle when with the caravan.

Our cruiser is fitted with a cargo barrier and a two sliding drawer system, which holds tools, air jack and sundries. A 40 litre Engel refrigerator is placed on a slide in the back. Other camping gear is placed in the remaining half of the back section.

Do you think we would be able to keep within safety parameters with the gear
I have described?

We are keen to take a tinny but do not want to overdo the weight and safety.
Currently we have a roofrack but I think we would probably need to purchase
something suitable for loading and carrying a tinny. I would like to have
the option of carrying some gear under the boat as at times we would be
going off for shorter camping trips away from the caravan. This gear would include the safety boat items, fishing rods and tackle, fuel tank, fuel container (say 20litre) and a tent (We are looking at an Oztent which folds into a bag, 2m in length and 20kg in weight.

With your experience of carrying a boat and seeing others who do, could you please suggest a roof rack and boat which would suit our purpose, assuming of course, that it would be safe?_________________The Hillocks,
A roamin' & a coastin'

First of all, you have a fine Rig there, and a strong one, and one that there are parts for all over Australia, and one that any Bush Mechanic can set straight for you.

But, you have a serious problem, that is VERY difficult for me to answer due to the legalities involved. I have spent an hour re-writing this answer due to all the possibilities so here goes the final: I have two drawers in mine, and a 60 litre Trailblazer fridge, and 170 litre Long Ranger tank plus the 90 stock one so 260 litres. While I have a winch as well, and some other toys, when I am fully loaded, full on fuel, tools and toys on board; I am right up on my GVM (Legal maximum weight fully loaded: Gross Vehicle Mass). There is no way I could put a boat loader and tinny on mine. When you ask "Safety Parametres", from a practical viewpoint with an upgraded suspension and shocks, I have a great deal of experience and respect for such a robust vehicle and cannot see a mechanical problem, but you would be dead illegal with regards to regulations and insurance if over your GVM... Let me explain another way so others will understand the risk and potential ways to resolve this:

Your Cruiser will carry about three times the payload of the new 200 Series. And with an upgraded suspension, a Rhino Roof Rack with a Tinny loader manual or electric winch and tinny on top would suit you right down to the ground. From a functional viewpoint, I see this set up all the time, but you would NO DOUBT be over your GVM. While it would work just fine, and there are many running around like that, I have to tell you that it is dead ILLEGAL and it is possible it could compromise your Insurance. Go fill up your Cruiser with fuel, leave everything in the Cruiser you want to travel with, and go to a weighbridge. Take the ticket and compare it to the GVM on your Registration. My guess is you are right up there at about 3 ton.

If you want to go with the Rhino Rack boat Loader and Tinny, you can find out the weights of them, and see if you can unload that much stuff into the cargo hold of your van. The ONLY other choice is to try and get a GVM increase from a custom truck builder, that will have a Transport Approved Engineer on Staff to do GVM increases and other Modifications. And it will take a letter and Modification plate, to take to the Transport Department and they will upgrade the GVM of your Cruiser there for free and issue new Rego papers. I got one for my 75 Series with ARB 3 point reinforced greasable shackles, and upgraded suspension, and my GVM was increased to 3400 kg. Your Standard Cruiser has the same type of suspension and running gear so this is possible. Years ago when I did mine, I was blazing the trail in the late 1990's, and it took about a $2000 suspension and the Transport Approved Engineer charged me $500 for the Mod plate. Later on, ARB was able to do it all themselves.

I cannot tell you it is OK run with the tinny on top without doing this, as it is wrong and is courting disaster if you get into an accident. Do us both a favor, load and fill up with fuel and go to the weighbridge to see just where you are at right now, and get back to me, OK? My guess is you are at or just over your GVM right now.

The only other thing you can do, if you want to travel heavy, well equipped cruiser, camping gear AND tinny and loader: Is to sell the Cruiser and get a Ford, Dodge, or Chev that can carry the extra payload. But the same rules apply, you do not want to go over your GVM. Yes, it is not widely enforced by the Police or Transport, but if you got into a serious accident, it could be a huge liability potentially without Insurance. This is tough, but either unload, upgrade the GVM, or it is not going to work with out huge risk and running illegal. This specific reason is why many have gone to the larger tow vehicles, but even some of them are over their GVM. It is a wide spread problem.

I thank you for honouring me with your question for guidance, and while I am a bit of a Rig Junkie and expert in experience in building this sort of truck, this is a tough one to deal with. You may need to contact a dozen Truck Builders, Dog Trailer Builders, sort of Companies to try and find a friendly Engineer that would consider the GVM increase if you want to go this route. Try ARB Queensland Headquarters in Brisbane first, I believe they are still on Thompson Terrace in Mayne to see if they can help. That or change your thinking on how much you have to carry in the tow vehicle.... To be fair, with your Landcruiser outfitted in good gear and long range tanks, to want to carry full camping gear AND a boat loader and tinny, is just asking too much of that size of vehicle and you might not make it even if you can get a GVM increase.

I wanted to have it all, had to move up to the F-250, and I had an F-350, and a Silverado; but now I am back down to the 100 Series for out Bush without horses. And with me wanting EVERYTHING AND HORSES TOO... I have ended up like this:

It is horses for courses. And don't I know that. I am with the Mack today out at the Pacific Coast Reining Horse Championships.. You may have to reconsider your situation, or your loading, and the first step is to weigh it to see where you are. Then battle with how much you want to add or have to unload to do it, and you will work this one through for yourself.. Let us know how you go, OK?

Kind Regards, stg

Last edited by Bushtracker on Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total

Thank you for your valued, sound advice, Steven. It is really appreciated. I have food for thought and your motivation to help me think laterally of achieving my objectives.
My congratulations on the forum. It must take a lot of effort on your part but the content is invaluable for your readers and customers.
With best wishes, John._________________The Hillocks,
A roamin' & a coastin'

Pretty sure I've posted this here before, but anyways...The GVM upgrade is great for loading up the vehicle, no doubt. BUT unless you upgrade your GCM (wieght of van and car together), you may be wasting your time. If your standard GCM is 6500kgs and GVM for Cruiser is 3000kgs you have a tow rating 3500kgs. OK, now increase the Cruiser's GVM to 3500kgs, actually load it close to this loading (that's why you bothered doing it), now you have a Cruiser that can only tow 3000kgs (6500kg GCM)

I would say a well loaded 19 ft BT will have no trouble getting close to the 3500kg figure that you would no longer have. I only see afew options.

-Be frugal with your packing/supplies and water tank levels. Not a good option in my opinion. I like all our goodies and prefer to have full tanks.
-Upgrade the GCM...Probably difficult to find an engineer to sign off on much of an increase without considerable expense...
-Buy a bigger tow vehicle. Best option I think though alot of dollars. Loss of off road ability is also a problem depending on your idea of off road. 99% of the time you would probably have MORE off road ability with more influence over the van with the bigger vehicle. When you leave the van behind for things like the CSR, OTL....you will curse the big rig IMHO.

Not alot of people have these kinds of tracks in their plans and I think the advantages of the bigger vehicle out way the dissadvanages. Don't listen to me though-I think our next outfit will be towed by a 200 series!

I speak as a private Citizen here, who has travelled more than most you will meet, and here is my experience with GCM.......... What TroopyTracker says is by the book, on GCM. However, this is one of those grey areas that are not enforced in the smaller sized tow vehicles. Medium Rigid like my license and up, with the larger truck and trailers... Yes.. But on small vehicles like Landcruisers, in 20 years and to date, I have not heard of any enforcements...

If you were to ask them, they might, and I say MIGHT know, most would not. This only comes into play in commercial trucks from the Medium Rigid Class and up. I have not even met an Insurance Assessor that knew or would know, and to date no one in my experience has been tagged for GCM on the smaller private tow vehicles. If they did enforce this half the Rigs on the road would be pulled aside. If they singled out you, the defence in Court would be "Selective Enforcement" as it is not widely used by either Law Enforcement or Insurance Companies in all of my Experience. Now Me, and the Mack? Yes.... If I go by an Interstate Weighbridge they can pull me over, and yes they can or will look at GCM....

This is one of those technical grey areas, that in 20 years I have not enforced on ANY small private tow vehicles.

Now in saying that: GVM yes, maximum tow capacity, Yes, but GCM in a non-commercial vehicle? No, I have never heard of it enforced. Never...

Steve, I found this article most interesting. I currently drive a Jeep Commander Limited with the V6 diesel motor (the same engine as the ML Mercs) and, although it has oodles of grunt, very comfy with heaps of goodies , and economical (average 11.5 litres per 100 klm - with a van, being a 18' Viscount, this becomes 17-18 on a windy day!), it would not be my ideal BT hauler in the back blocks of never never!

There is no "aftermarket" bolt-ons for the jeep such as, but not limited to: long range fuel tanks, suspension upgrades, even no steel or alloy bullbar - that I know of.

My wife, Melinda, had a 1999 petrol GXL 100 series Cruiser and I am regretting selling that! I thought I was clever, and upgraded her to a later model Territory GHIA.

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase, what year was the 100 you re-conditioned?as I am considering a little do-it-myself-project of rebuilding an ulimate BT hauler without all the electrics too. Having been in the transport industry for 30 odd years, I have been stuck in the middle of nowhere thanks to electronics failing.

This "Rebirth of the Super Cruiser", is a 2000, but they are all the same from 1999 to about 2004 in the Luxury end of the Landcruiser with the GXL and Automatic transmission... The automatic was available in the naturally aspirated 1HZ non electronic diesel until about 2004, with the luxury options of the GXL. From my engineering perspective, this is the LAST of the LEGENDS...

The Sahara version is unnecessarily complicated and the suspension iffy... The Factory Turbo engine is fully electronic, not fixable in the Bush without a Toyotat computer, and the Factory Turbo version has an independent front suspension that has some problems and upgrades necessary. This GXL is the luxury driving version automatic transmission Landcruiser with the live monobeam front axle, no Independent Front Suspension, and no electronic run engine like the Factory Turbo Diesel model. Personally I find it to be a much stronger and reliable vehicle, and it takes the aftermarket turbo really well, with Safari Turbo upgrades going on it for the last 15 years. We have one here with 450,000 kms on it.

I bought this one for the TOYS it had on it !!! I bought another one, my Son is driving, in another topic, same year, but not for the year; again bought for the toys and equipment it had in Long Ranger tank, winch compatible bullbar, ARB hi lift suspension, tyre carrier, roof rack, radios turbo and all in all $22,000 worth of goodies on only a $31,000 low kilometres Landcruiser with an aftermarket turbo and only 115,000 kms??? How can you go wrong with a strong robust vehicle like this? Read about the other one in the Topic "POSSIBLY THE BEST DOLLAR VALUE TOW VEHICLE READILY AVAILABLE" that we found in only a few weeks of watching Carpoint.com

If you had to buy new, the 76 Series "WorkMate" 4 door wagon looks good. It has the solid front axle and the new V-8 Diesel. The problem is that the engine again is fully computer driven, turbos are slung a bit low, and it is only a basic manual transmission truck to drive. But Toyota says that this is their Bush vehicle now.. I just have a problem with computer driven engines designed to HAVE TO GO TO THE DEALER, and with designs like a starter motor down under the valley pan betweent the heads that has a Factory time of 7 hours to get to it...??? I think they want to make their money on Dealer Dependent aftermarket service..

Anyways, don't listen to me, I am not "Trendy"...

Regards from the lone Ranger, who knows horses and horsepower applications in the Bush... If he knows anything at all...

Thanks for that info. How about this, and I know you are flat out like a lizard drinkin'!

As you have the knack for finding these ideal trucks (you know what to look for!) a sideline to building BT's, could be producing these suped up cruisers and make doubly sure that we as prospective buyers, and even current owners, get an unbreakable, reliable, bulletproof tow vehicle that will go anywhere!

My advice in the Topic AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL is to run full Synthetic transmission fluid in the Automatics... Toyota Automatics use Castrol Transmax Z, or LubriMax which I can find no Lab testing on, or Amsoil which there is independent lab testing on and available ex Sydney...

Anyway, I am running Castrol Transmax Z Synthetic in my 100 Series, and it was in my old Sahara that has 370,000 kms on it. This Topic is about the all non-electronic 100 Series. But I am including the later model 100 Series Factory TD Auto in this advice even though I have not owned one myself... My research is conclusive.. I am also talking about the electronic engine management 100 Series TD with the Independent Front Suspension... The advice extends to this unit as well.

I have heard of it rarely and second hand... But: One of the Bushtracker Owners has just burned up a Factory Turbo Diesel 100 Series Auto transmission. It is being handled on warranty, but what a hassle. They are stuck in Rockhampton. While the cause is unknown, it illustrates that you should take precautions, as the full Synthetic is definitely better.. Their Email (just an example of the case in point):
************************************************************
Problems with the transmission:
16th September: We observed that the RPM kept increasing above 3000 when accelerating through 70kph. We determined that the automatic transmission was not changing from 3rd to 4th.

Action:
We removed the DP chip from its installation

Result: No change

We made a booking with Emerald Auto Group for two days hence. We then drove into Emerald slowly.

18th September Emerald Auto Group:
Over the course of the day the Emerald Auto Group tested the vehicle under instructions from Toyota Technical Support (Melbourne).

Emerald Auto Group concluded that the transmission relay was faulty. A new part was ordered delivery due 22nd September.

22nd September: Emerald Auto Group
Fitted the new Transmission Relay however on testing of the vehicle there was no change.
After further consultation with Toyota Technical Support they concluded that the transmission itself was at fault.

The transmission oil was changed and the old oil was found to be black, which they stated was burnt. Sample of this oil is with this note. This did not resolve the problem.

Emerald Auto Group also sent relevant diagnostic information to Toyota Technical Support. They advised us that this was a warranty job and to come to the nearest Toyota Service Centre which could handle automatic transmission faults which was at Rockhampton.

We thank you for looking after our car and kindly request that we:
1. Be phoned and advised as to the cause of the fault
2. Once the fault is found to be advised the length of time for the fault to be remedied
3. To be advised on commencement and completion dates

Kind Regards
XXXXXX XXXXXXX

Now my Advice stands... One could argue: "Well I won't bother, I will deal with the expense if it happens..." or One could say: "I have a Warranty, so I am not going to worry about it"..... But the attitude changes when you consider the time delay to your travels. Please consider this in all of my advice, as yes you could be covered by Warranty but in this case they estimate 8 weeks for a full recondition by the time they get the parts in.. How much of a Pain in the tookus is that???

Well, I have sold the Mack Horse Truck, and my Silverado Dually, having successfully mated them and produced a new F-450 Full Import Super Duty Ford... But it will not be here for some 4 weeks yet.

For two weeks now, I have been driving my trusty lil backup, this Super Cruiser.

It is still the most well equipped Landcruiser we have ever seen, with extremes of gear never seen since. Anyway, someone was just complaining about a hobby horse feel with their new van and their 100 Series, hence this Post. I advised him to get the ball weight right on the van, of around 10%, and he has written back that it is right on the upper limits.

I have been towing vans around and just last week, noticed a bit more hobby horse effect in my little Super Cruiser myself, than I remembered. Well, cut a long story short, my front shocks were weak, almost shot. I was writing it off to being just empty vans, light on the nose, but it was infact weak front shocks. I have a strong OME suspension with 50mm lift, and was carrying it well with no front shocks. Last night on impulse I tested them and got a shock alright. Just today, I replaced them all the way around with new Bilsteins.... WHAT A DIFFERENCE.

I would have normally used OME NitroChargers from ARB, but in my junk collection I had a new set of Bilsteins we got when buying another 100 Series last year. I put them to use, and what a major change, firm control, no more hobby horse or bounding in front end.

I have just come back from the weighbridge, a 20' Bushtracker, weighed 2.58 ton, and the hobby horse was completely gone. It is amazing the hard lessons we learn that are sometimes forgotten... So here it is, a reminder for you, shocks wear out, and if your van is loaded correctly the shocks may be your problem if you have any of that hobby horse or bounding feel....

A WDH (Weight Dist Hitch) is a must towing with a Cruiser like this, just don't get distracted from the basic things we sometimes forget.. OK? How dumb do I feel, and I am the Professional here... I do not put on the WDH just to go up to weigh a van, and was not really paying much attention, but now what a firm control feel! A good lesson and reminder for you.